Campfires and barbecues using wood, charcoal or other solid fuels have been banned in all State forests on the North Coast, Northern Tablelands Central West Tablelands, South Coast and parts of Western NSW from Sunday 1 September until further notice to reduce the risk of bushfires.

Firefighters from across Central West and Western NSW have been put through their paces this week, being trained and tested at Forestry Corporation of NSW’s pre-season fire days in Parkes.

Up to 4,500 hectares of red gum forest, fringing creeks, wetland and habitat will be replenished over the next 60 days thanks to a planned watering event in the Koondrook and Perricoota State Forests.

At either end of Cumberland State Forest there are two residential cottages, which were previously used by staff and their families who lived on-site as part of their forest management roles.

Firefighters from Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Casino and the wider north coast were put through their paces this week, being trained and tested at Forestry Corporation of NSW’s pre-season fire day held in Bom Bom State Forest.

Students at Coffs Harbour Christian Community Junior School will now enjoy computer lessons in a new timber-clad building and deck built using timber donated by Forestry Corporation of NSW and Boral Timber.

Local Forestry Corporation of NSW staff have completed the first stage of their annual fire season preparations, passing gruelling fitness tests that simulate the strain placed on the body during firefighting.

The first shipment of 60 containers of timber has been loaded onto the train at Werris Creek destined for Port Botany, as the region’s new rail hub gears up to take up to 230,000 tonnes of timber from Walcha and Nundle annually.

More than seven million pine seedlings are being dispatched from Forestry Corporation of NSW’s Blowering Nursery near Tumut this winter, which is one of the largest crops since the nursery began producing containerised seedlings a little over a decade ago.

More than 2,000 hectares of southern pine plantations near Grafton are now in public hands, after Forestry Corporation of NSW bought the timber rights to plantations established under contract for a private company.